Episodes – Page 189 – The Loh Down On Science

Hit Parade

September 27, 2018 Jessie Yaros

Rockin’ Robin. It’s a classic hit… in more ways than one! This is Sandra Tsing Loh, with the Loh Down on Science. Songbirds pass down tunes that can long outlast any one bird’s lifetime. In fact, people have recorded melodies that are exactly the same, but tweeted decades apart! But

Butane on Wheels

September 26, 2018 Priyam Patel

Bicycles. Green energy… in more ways than one! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Hydrocarbons like butane are chemicals used in fuels. Fuels use the energy stored in the bonds of these molecules. Bonds can hold a lot of energy, but too much makes them

Toxic Baby Food

September 25, 2018 Krista Fruehauf

Ughhh, what did I eat?. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Caterpillars are cute, but not when they damage crops. Plants defend themselves by producing chemicals that attract wasps, a natural pest control. Wasps lay eggs in caterpillars, and hatchlings slowly eat the caterpillars from

Smell Detector

September 24, 2018 Will Thrift

Is the bathroom still smelly? Odorbot to the rescue! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever dream of having a day when smelling unpleasant odors is a distant memory? Kenshi Hayashi and colleagues at Kyushu University share this dream. And they’re working on a solution:

Climate of Conquest

September 21, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Were Genghis Khan’s conquests a product of . . . nice weather? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. The Mongols were bad dudes, but they kind of came out of nowhere. One day they were a bunch of warring tribes, the next they conquered Korea,

Little Champs

September 20, 2018 Victoria Lim

How do kids have so much BLEEPING energy? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Young children can scream and run around all day. It’s like they have enough energy to be Olympic athletes… But could they really? Anthony Birat and colleagues at Clermont-Auvergne University decided

Dino Dominance

September 19, 2018 Kellen Kartub

Did the dinosaur age begin with a bang? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Scientists believe dinosaurs met their end from through some kind of natural disaster. But their origins remain a mystery. It seems they were very rare at first, before suddenly ballooning in

Naptime for Jellies

September 18, 2018 Jessica Monterrosa Mena

Sleep is for the weak. Or is it? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. During sleep, the brain declutters, organizes memories, and rejuvenates. But what about animals without a brain? Do they ever need a snooze? Enter the Cassiopea jellyfish. With no heart, bones, or

Coffee Rx

September 17, 2018 Hurik Muradyan

Ahh the smell of fresh coffee wafting from…your medicine cabinet? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Have you noticed most medicine comes in little plastic capsules? These capsules protect your drugs, but they aren’t as safe as you might hope. That’s because plastic is usually

Foot-Flaggin’ Frogs

September 14, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Waving the white flag has a seductive new meaning! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying surrender — to the power of amphibian love. Meet the Bornean rock frog. These creatures live near waterfalls, and enjoy long hops on the beach. However, these romantic scenes